The Cheshire Cat
by Very-Berry-Baby
Summary: A woman looking for Stryker wants Creed's help. Why does she want to find him? What's her story? And what will come of this big game of hide and seek?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

High heels. Daintily, they clacked against the harsh stone floor and brought the wearer closer and closer to the bar. The dim light made the patent off shine of red stand out even more. Masculinity coated the bar; it hadn't seen any womanly presence in at least ten years. Guns, beer tankards, and a variety of grotesque stuffed hunted animals mounted the walls.

Heads rose out of half empty beer glasses to stare in shock at the new floral presence in the room, at the woman who confidently walked to the only man working. The eyes deep set above the man's heavy black beard widened and he quickly rubbed his hands in vain effort against the stained denim shirt he wore.

"Can I help you ma'am?" The worker asked as he fidgeted.

"As a matter of fact you can, I'm looking for a man-" The woman paused and curled her lips into a wide smile as she heard the faint gasps of the male occupants, wondering if maybe they had the faintest chance.

The man stuttered as he tried to find an answer but a small laugh interrupted him and the stranger continued speaking.

"Purely professional, I've heard he comes here…Creed, Victor Creed"

The man didn't say a word, he just picked up an unclean cloth, random beer glass and half-heartedly wiped the surface of it although the intensity at which he stared at the surface made the woman think she hadn't heard his answer. Flittingly the eventual answer came when the man lifted his head, made no eye contact, and nodded behind her.

Craning around she looked behind her at the dark, wall lining booths, her keen eyes vaguely made out the hunched out black figure of what she assumed was her man.

"Thank you" She didn't turn around to give thanks but called it out as she began to stride towards the man. One of her eyebrows inched up as she made out the crude smiley face Creed was scratching into the wooden surface of the table.

The stubbled face turned towards her as he smelled her, and rolled his eyes appreciatively from tip to toe over the new body. Sparkle came into his eyes and he leant back lazily against the torn leather of the booth's upholstering with his large hands lightly digging into the table surface.

"I think you may have lost your way here toots, only girls around here you find on street corners, and the only men are…not _decent_ company" Victor said with exaggeration, purring out the words.

"I'm not looking for decent company Mr Creed" The woman answered, the fresh ironed black, gold button blouse, tight, well-made jeans she wore were in danger of getting wrinkled and dirty against the stained, sticky leather. But, unfazed she slid straight into the seat and crossed her legs so the red stilettoes stuck out threatingly.

"Oh really?" Victor said with fresh interest in the conversation, his eyes beginning to grow blacker still, even in the dim light.

"Or that sort of company, I'm here to offer you a job" The tone of her voice was simply, but underneath the straight line of her fringe a dance of light shone from her clear blue eyes. Like a Cheshire cat, her red lipstick smile grew over her cheeks.

Victor was enticed and this surprise client earned his interest so he leant forward, resting his thick forearms on the table and pulling an empty glass in front of him to tap out a clinking tune with his sharp nails.

"His name is William Stryker, I'd like you to find him and take me to him, nothing else"

"…My usual work involves more of a hands on approach, I'm not going to be paid for a game of hide and seek darling" Victor's answer sparked the beginning of a frown on the woman's face, but it was masked behind the veil of a fringe. The job had lost its interest, he knew exactly where Stryker was and could tell her there and then, but his senses stopped him.

"Whatever fee you're charging, I'll pay-"

"I have enough money…If you can wire me up with an adamantium skeleton then-" The last part of his sentence Victor uttered so quietly that it was almost a thought.

"I can get you your adamantium Mr Creed, if that's what you want to find him we have a deal" Quickly the woman offered her end of the deal and stood up leaving no room for questions, reaching in to the tight back pocket of her jeans she pulled out a small white card. She pointed to the black type on the card and said, "I'll be here all day tomorrow, if you accept the job, come by and if you don't then it was…pleasant meeting you"

Using the adjective 'pleasant' made her look around the décor with a sarcastic smile and turn back to the potential employees eyes. Victor spoke again before she could turn away to leave,

"Is it business or pleasure?" Victor asked, adding "Why you want to find Stryker" when the woman rolled back her shoulder and raised an eyebrow at him. A slight step forward made her heel clack loudly through the otherwise hushed bar.

The woman leant over him slowly, and Creed made no motion of moving away, slowly she caressed the wooden table and tapped the smiley face countingly. The noise caught Creed's attention and his eyes looked at her slender hand, watching intently as the nail on her index finger began to protrude into a long, sharp, dangerous talon.

Leisurely the claw cut into the wood, carving two slanting, angry eyebrows into Creed's simple doodle, turning it into a fierce looking thing.

As she drew back, she got closer to Creed's face and deliberately exaggerated her full lips to say, "Both". Then snapping back she turned and marched away, exaggerating her hips to sway side to side and keep the attention of everyone.

Victor exhaled with a sly smirk and pawed the crisp white business card towards him so his keen eyes could read the name above the address on the card:-

'_Rosalie Bird'_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Why should Victor accept the job? He didn't enjoy the fact there was no murder in the job, nothing to excite his predator skills. This broad wanted him to find Stryker, and there was little challenge in that, Creed saw him almost every day when he picked up his missions. No, being a delivery boy was not his job.

But something about that girl made him stop and think this through, over and over. Why would she want him to find Stryker? Find him and do nothing, just go back and take her to him where she would then do what?

And how on earth did the broad plan to get him the adamantium skeleton upgrade he wanted and had already been promised? Though Stryker was taking his sweet time about it.

This boring job had a lot of questions. Then there was her smell; the green fresh forest scent with its wild back tone. If the danger of Rosalie's own hidden talons didn't tell Victor she was a feral, the enticing scent certainly did.

So why would a feral need another ferals help at tracking someone down?

That was the final question in Creed's mind before he furiously launched out of the cheap cushioned chair that held his slumped figure moments ago. Knocking over bottles of beer which hit each other in delicate clinks made Victor frown; his sensitive ears disliking the sudden noise.

He wanted answers, and the only way to get them would be to go and see the broad, accept the job and see how this would play out.

The crisp white business card she had given him was stained now, smudged with the oily dirt that solidified Creed's finger print upon the surface. He looked down at it with a scowl before nodding his head back up to the apparent building in front of him.

It was a simple structured building, like the designer had taken their architectural inspiration from a shoebox. 'Ashton Studios' was stamped into the wall Victor stood in front of, the dark black rigid font mirroring his own hardened expression he wore as he marched solidly through the glass entrance door.

Only a single blonde receptionist was situated in the expansive, marble floored lobby and Victor had already made a bad impression, adorning a scowl on her face when he used his grubby large paw on the glass door.

"Can I help you _Sir?" _The girl asked, drawing out the title nasally.

Victor ignored her and continued past the counter and followed a curving corridor which brought him to a staircase, a smile sidled up onto his face when he heard the panic in the girl's continuous calls of "Sir?".

His nose would easily find Rosalie; he didn't need a snobby nosed brat directing him anywhere. Victor noticed the glow of a red box light near the ceiling and to the side of one new wooden door, he paid little attention to what was written on the plastic surface and walked in.

Pairs of eyes looked at him from the dimly lit room, but he ignored that, Victor's eyes were firmly fixed on the only lit up part of the room where his 'employer' stood.

Rosalie was confidently stood in front of a green screen, talking clearly and precisely with a full toothed smile as she manoeuvred her hands around like a timid dancer. Victor noticed the slight glance her pupils shot him, but Rosalie maintained her focus on the large, bald man operated camera in front of her.

Suddenly two bulked men that melted into the dark setting because of their uniform attire blocked Victor's view and he growled menacingly,

"Show's recording buddy, no interruptions" One of the gorillas' stated with a monotone droning before attempting to relocate Victor's unmoving body to outside the studio. A harsh siren blocked out Creed's threating growls and the quick steps of clacking heels followed.

"Excuse me boys" Both security men turned and looked at the slender woman in awe and Rosalie smiled back at them whilst putting the light restraint of her palms on each man's arm. "Mr Creed is here to see me, if you'll excuse us"

They looked dubiously from the immaculate figure to the imposing man she claimed was her acquaintance; still they walked away on her order with a gruff noise of disappointment.

"We can talk in the office, nobody is in there" Said Rosie as she looked around at the nosey eyes that watched her and the hungry ears that attempted to listen in on the conversation. Spinning around she quickly strode in the direction Creed was meant to follow.

Rosie didn't flinch as a harsh force, pummelled into the wall behind her; Creed's forearm pinned her between itself and the front office wall.

"Is there a problem Mr Creed?" She asked with perfect politeness, Victor scowled and leaned forward intently.

"A weather girl really?" Creed ignored her question and continued with his own, flicking his eyes down at Rosie's pristine appearance.

"What's wro-"

"I know what you are toots, do all your little studio buddies know you're a feral?" He demanded maintaining eye contact and a cocky grin.

Rosalie used her delicate hand to cast several strands of hair out of her face and kept her expression neutral, "I see no reason what that has to do with anything but as a matter of fact no, no they don't. I take it since you are here you're accepting the offer of employment, and therefore all the information you need to know is that I want you to find Stryker, come back to get me and take me to him." She paused and studied Creed's unmoving gaze, "We've already discussed a price, you find me Stryker, I get you the adamantium.-"

Victor interrupted her, "And how are you going to get me adamantium eh doll?"

"Irrelevant" Rosie answered curtly, leaning back at ease and resting on the knotted hands behind her back.

"What do you want with Stryker?"

"Irrelevant" She repeated, watching Creed's face darken with frustration.

The pair kept in silence, neither broke the staring competition, both equally as proud and stubborn as the other. When the hired tracker took his weight off the wall rested arm and stood to his full imposing height, Rosie stood up in sync.

Still refusing to look away, she asked with a biting smile, "When can I expect his location?"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Victor Creed didn't like thinking, he liked to rely on the animal instincts the mutated genes his body blessed him with, they would see things straight in the end. Though unfortunately for others, his genes were hardwired to him, working to his benefit only.

Despite this, the cogs of his mind were still ticking over as he bounded over the land, unable to shake the twitching anticipation at what this new girl was bringing to this particular chapter in long life.

"Urgh" He shouted through the forestry, alerting nesting birds to fly from him. Victor's clawed hand raked across the spine of a tree and he rolled his shoulders, swaggering forward he marched closer and closer to his destination. It had taken him a while to get here, but he hadn't rushed, he was at nobody's beck and call. Now he was nearly there though, currents of anticipation dashed through him and gave him a particular dogged bounce in his step.

Three Mile Island.

One of the most God awful places on the planet, an apt place for Creed and the company he kept to hold a business residence. The tinge of feline in Victor's genetics disliked the water surrounded place, and the rest of him hated it more given that he had to swim across. Though the labour failed to affect him as it would others, it was an irritant he could do without.

Walking through the desolate place to the main building, Creed discarded his coat and threw it aside over a railing expertly as he slammed his way in. Quickly he sped up the stairs, his nose once again being relied upon to seek out the Colonel.

"I was beginning to think you had forgotten about your missions Victor" The cool, oil slick tone of William Stryker greeted Victor but the man belonging to the voice didn't raise his head. No, the formal man was too busy leaning down to inspect the writing on a formal document angled in one of the nurses hands.

"I was side tracked-"

"Those street corner girls still snatching your attention eh?" said Stryker, a laugh supressed beneath the quick interruption.

"By my _other_ job" Victor countered with a sneer, striding closer and propping himself loudly on the unoccupied hospital bed. As he did, Victor craned his neck behind him and winced at the body lying still on the bed even though he couldn't actually see the damage on Wade's features under the thick covering white blanket.

Stryker frowned with knowing in his eyes before he stood tall again, allowing the female nurse to scurry to the machine beeping at intervals by the side of Wade. "Any interesting targets this time?" He asked, though it was more out of routine than interest.

Victor smirked, there were the instincts again, kicking in with ease and making his mouth form the easily said sentence that caught Stryker's full attention.

"As a matter of fact, I was quite surprised to find your name at the top of the wanted list"

Quickly Stryker looked up at the nurse who found herself more interested in the conversation than her work, he nudged his head harshly and with wide eyes the nurse ran out. As the door slammed Stryker inched forward,

"Whose list?" He asked urgently,

Creed lent back and inspected his nails, ignoring the Colonel's question; Victor enjoyed taunting him and continued his own slow monologue.

"Though, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed when the broad only wanted me to play hide and seek, keep _these-" _His clawed hand waggled in the air dangerously "-at bay"

"The broad? It was a girl, who was she?" Stryker's toned changed and a deeper undertone laced it, he needed to know who wanted him found.

Victor thought for a moment and he wanted to know what all this was about to, so he answered finally, with a nonchalant expression. "Bird, Rosalie Bird. She wanted me to find you, go back and then bring her to you"

Stryker relaxed, his shoulders slumped back to their usual position and he straightened his tie with a self-satisfied smirk, "Rosie wanted you to find me?" He thought allowed, walking away with his index finger held thoughtfully against his grey peppered cheek stubble.

"Promised me adamantium" Victor declaratively stated, his dark eyes watching intently when Stryker froze, the feral could practically hear the slow ticking of the conniving Colonel's mind.

"Victor" Stryker said as an idea came to his mind, slowly Stryker's voice gained speed, mirroring his idea as it gathered more and more pieces. "You have to bring her here…bring her here, but don't tell her you've told me about her and then everything will be perfect"

Victor threw himself off the metal framed bed and cracked his neck, "What does she want with you boss? More importantly, what do you want with her?"

Victor's eyebrows rose up suggestively but the suggestion was quickly dismissed when Stryker waved it away with his hand. He scowled and tapped his index finger slowly against his lips, he kept thinking over the news Victor had divulged.

"It doesn't matter, just bring her here, as soon as you can…_little Rosie is out of hiding eh…_" Stryker whispered quietly and breathed out a quick laugh before pointing at Victor as a second thought, "But call as soon as you get close"

Victor kept silent for a moment before nodding curtly and turning away and walking out the door. Before it closed behind him, Victor caught the small cell phone Stryker tossed to him; he didn't even need to look behind.

Stealthy the device was submerged deep in the pocket of his trousers and hidden from view. Victor didn't feel like rushing so he picked up the coat he previously threw aside carelessly and chucked his arms in the sleeves.

"So many missions…so little time" Victor spoke aloud with an excited smirk on his face, this turn of events was getting more and more interesting.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Victor knew she wouldn't be at the studios where he had originally sought to get her once he had told Stryker the crack. However, the new found excitement of what would happen when Stryker and Rose met willed him to seek out her location.

It was night now, the sky vacant of any stars, only the faint glow from apartments or houses still awake and street lamps lit up the black night. Victor started his search at Rosie's place of work, the skill of his nose was well acquainted with her scent now and he easily distinguished it among the musk of the frail humans that worked alongside her.

Surprising him, the scent carried on past the studio on a path that led away from the business car park. The fact Rose walked to and from work would make his job a lot easier. The faint trail danced up the road, down a path squeezed between two tall red brick buildings, branched left, and then right, through a large oval patch of grass that was the city park. It went past a row of small shops – though it gathered for a while outside the one niche coffee house – and then finally, branching left the trail was blocked by a door.

The building was made of large brick limestone and stood proudly in the midst of the busy centre town. Creed didn't bother knocking and let his paw turn the gold brass handle harshly. As he walked in, a staircase greeted him and Victor launched up them unaffected, taking them two at a time.

Reaching another door, this time he did knock, loudly and walked to and fro the top floor corridor, plunging his hands deep in the pockets of his trousers. Impatience twisted Victor's mouth into a scowl, when the door did open; he had half the mind set to knock the damn thing down.

Pausing when he saw Rose he lowered his shoulders and stormed past her, walking straight into the room.

"Didn't you ever get taught to say 'Whose there?'" Victor grumbled begrudgingly as he pushed past her.

Rosie ruffled her fringe and smiled before closing the door, she was awake, delicately holding a glass of wine in her hand with the television humming meaningless background noise. Victor fell onto the sofa, his weight making it cry out loudly.

"Where's the weather girl image gone?" He taunted, as he analysed the girl perching herself on the edge of the sofa arm.

Turning inward Rosie looked at herself, dressed in thin grey pyjama bottoms and a simple black vest, her hair was tied up messily, face vacant of makeup and a baggy grey cardigan thrown over her she shrugged.

She sipped from her glass daintily and looked at Creed firmly,

"Would you like a beer Mr Creed?" Rosie asked, she didn't wait for the answer and removed herself from the seat, walking into the kitchen and collecting one of the glass bottles from the fridge.

"No champagne?" Victor said as he expertly caught the beer launched at him. "…and you can cut that Mr Creed shit out, it's Victor, I'm not a damn teacher" He added as an afterthought.

Rosie sat down again and knelt forward, "Did you find him?" she asked eagerly the sparkle of mischief lighting up her large eyes. When Victor nodded curtly and took another swig from the tall bottle he kept his eyes on her to judge the reaction.

"You're gonna take me to him, tonight" Said Rosie as she placed the now empty glass on a side table and rose up, the person opposite her was faster though and took a stern grip on her throat.

Victor snarled dangerously, "You don't tell me what to do cupcake, I don't need this job, and I can walk away at any time" His face got closer to Rosie's but she didn't shy away, she snarled in response and held the hand at her throat firmly.

Quickly her claws extended and dug into the restraint, her breath hitched but she growled out menacingly slowly. "You took the job, and I can guarantee you if you walk away from _me _there is not a chance that you'll get the adamantium"

Victor bellowed out a quick laugh before loosening his grip, "A feral weather girl" he said in disbelief, not changing his humoured expression when a hand slammed into his shoulder and pushed him away.

"Go get ready" Ordered Victor as he took the seat he previously left and watched Rosie saunter away with stormy expression looking down at her extended talons. Erratically she shook her hands to will away the dangerous claws.

"Don't you need to call the weather girl corporation? Let them know they'll be one mutant down?" Victor continued taunting as Rosie walked back out moments later. Replacing the slouchy pyjamas were tight green trousers and a long sleeved fitted black t-shirt. Rosie threw her hair messily into a higher knot and screwed up her face with distaste at the comment, striding over to him she put her hands on her hips.

"Why is it so funny that I'm a weather girl? There must be over a million on earth, why is there so much hilarity in the fact I tell people when it's going to rain?" She asked.

Victor leaned down to her level and cocked his eyebrow with a smirk,

"Because you're a feral. It's like a truck driver beautician" Said Victor with a nod of satisfaction at the comparison he'd thought of quickly. Rosie shook her head making the bun of hair shake wildly with the movement,

"Maybe I'll quit and become an assassin…murderer…mercenary…solider. What exactly is your job title Mr Cr-Victor?"

Victor stood up again sharply and moved closer to the door, swinging it open and leaning forward to prop it open for Rosie to walk through.

"You wouldn't last a day in my job cupcake" He said before rolling his eyes and sighing with irritation, "Hurry up Weather Girl, either move faster or get left behind"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

"Can you tell me something Victor?" Rose asked with an oil-slick tongue as she crossed her legs in front of her with each deliberately slow step whilst staring at the wide planes of Victor's back that were a fair distance ahead.

The leading man gave a gruff noise before speaking, "Depends what it is Dollface".

Rose laughed a little and ruffed her hair up with her hand, "Why is it that every fibre of my body is screaming that you're going to kill me?" She stopped then, sensing that the man she trusted to take her to Stryker would do the same.

He did.

Inclining his head down to the crook of his shoulder the pupils of his eyes dilated and locked straight with Rosie's. Leaning back onto the nearest tree she quirked her eyebrow to evoke an answer. Whipping back in the direction he already travelled, Victor closed the gap between them with tensions pulling his shoulders and anger squeezing his fingers into his palms.

Bending down an easy smile came over his lips,

"If I wanted you dead baby you'd already be giving the crows a full belly and, right now you're tempting me to cut out road trip short" He tone made Rosie waver but the façade of her face gave little away, the small fingers of her hand held Victor's arm at bay and she picked at her vocal cords again.

"Curiosity Mr Creed, cats are well known for it" She slipped past him then, first incline closer to him to draw full attention and then turning away in a flurry of black hair and appearing metres in front, taking the lead.

"Are you always so hostile when facing a simple question Mr Creed?" She asked, again with a full tooth smiled. Victor rolled his head and marched forward again, this time the pair walked side by side.

"I'm a lot more comfortable when it's me doing the interrogating-and I won't tell you again, call me Mr Creed once more and I'll slash that pretty mouth of yours" Creed growled out with his hands thrust deep into his pocket.

"Flattery eh? My, my, my you are a rubix cube character" Rosie hopped over a fallen branch and ignored how her hair flew out around her and continued the conversation unfazed by the brutal scowl on Victor's face.

"So, interrogate me" She looked up when Victor gave her an impassive expression and a sarcastic eyebrow lift as a response, "The way I see it, we've got a fairly long walk and I'm the type of girl who sees silence as a sin. So, interrogate me"

Rosie looked ahead then, needing to keep her eyes on where she was going. Victor on the other hand didn't move his gaze but impressively kept his footing.

"Roleplay? We are moving quickly, here was me thinking you were a woman of integrity" Victor finally responded with another provoking smirk that hungered for a volatile response. When an unassuming smile was returned, Victor furrowed his brows.

"How much of a real feral are you?" That was the question he finally decided on. It was a wise choice of question and earned another halt in the couple's journey. Rosie planted her feet firm in the ground and, after another two steps forward Victor stopped to look back at her.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She snapped with her neat eyebrows pointing increasingly downwards and forming a perfect 'v' in the middle of her forehead. Victor smirked again, wider this time, a self-satisfied smirk that told Rosie she had given him the response he wanted.

"What I mean darling is that you can frown and draw the claws – It doesn't make you a feral. You can't find your own prey, you don't fight like a feral, you're basically an impersonator of mutants" He taunted further and subsequently, Rosie's claws began to wriggle free.

"Would you prefer I live in the trees, ate birds and bayed and the moon Mr Creed" Rosie said harshly, "I am a feral, a mutant, and a human being…and a weather girl" The last label she had put a smile on Victor's face but he quickly lost the expression when the girl barged past him.

Stalking behind her Victor suddenly grabbed the back of her right shoulder, using the whip-fast reactions he had to whip out his claws and sink them in to the think muscle. Rosie gasped in pain and the claws remained in her skin until their owner pulled back, taking Rosie with them and resulting in her falling to the floor.

"It's Victor" He said for a final time and continued walking forward, he didn't wait for Rosie to pick herself up. She hissed when she did, gritting her teeth together like a jungle cat and spitting violently.

"Imagine if the TV bosses could see you now" Victor said.

"My ratings would be through the roof" Was the answer she provided and Rosie's companion looked down at her once again, seeing through the corner of his eye that she was at his side again, looking straight on and refusing to meet his eyes. If she looked at him Rosie feared that her entire plan would have the hairline fracture of doubt she couldn't have.

Rosie's claws were still out.

"Put them away" Victor instructed her, they were coming out of the brief dense forest and heading into a town. Not that the true feral was opposed to attention or a fight, but the mood he was in his claws were already sated by Rosie's blood.

"I can't" Rosie growled out, demonstrating she shook her hand with ferocity but the white enamel talons didn't shrink back into her cuticles.

"Hm, you're like ninety nine percent weather girl, one percent feral – focus and they'll go away" He sighed with annoyance. What is this a master class in how to follow your instincts?

Rosie ignored him, choosing instead to jut her hands into the pockets of her trousers. With a frown still on her face she looked up at Victor and said with a dangerous whisper to her voice,

"I may need them for later"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

"What exactly is William Stryker doing on an abandoned nuclear site?" Rosie asked, she placed her hands on her hips and leant the majority of her weight on her dominant right leg. Victor was at her side, leaning over her shoulder and inching closer to her.

Rosie didn't look up and stared out at the length of water between the ground she stood on and the supposed abandoned plant.

"Hiding from weather girls" Victor purred out before jolting backwards to dodge the forceful arm that was aiming for his face. Rosie walked forward quickly to the edge of the water and bent down to touch the cool liquid, as soon as her fingertips cast ripples in the still water she snatched them back.

"So what are we going to do…hire a boat?" She asked once fully upright again, Victor was at her side again and this time with an expression filled with excited mischief. Before Rosie could move or fully express her horror at what was coming, Victor had his hand hooked in the back belt loop of her jeans.

In quick succession to his grasp of her, the muscle of his bicep contracted and lifted Rosie up before throwing her with ease into the cold water. Rosie sputtered and stood up quickly; the water was only at her waist were she was thrown.

The black long locks of Rosie's hair were now coated in the water and clinging to her face, looking Victor straight in the eye and blew some more excess water out of her mouth.

"Are you actually serious right now?" Said Rosie with accusation lacing her tone, her fists hit the water cause two equal splashes to fly out around her. "Jesus!"

Victor was wading into the water himself now, a smile covering his stubbled mouth,

"No, I can't walk on water, we have to swim" He answered carrying himself past were Rosie was still stood, sour faced and furrowed brows. When he was just a little in front of her, Rosie slammed her hand back into the water, sending another wave into the air.

This one hit Victor right in the side of his face. A deep growl rumbled from his throat and it earnt a satisfied smile from Rosie, she sighed out a deep laugh. "Cats and water don't mix…even mutant ones"

Victor kept walking; the water was up to his chest now, meaning that for Rosie it was over her head. Treading water she finally started to swim, her face screwed up with concentration as she began to breast stroke nearer the island.

"We should have bought a dingy" Rosie strangled out and then began to chuckle at the mental image she created. The force of her laughter caused her even swimming to be disrupted and she flailed in the water.

Victor ignored her and carried on swimming, when she finally composed herself she too carried on in the attempt to reach the island. A series of titters marking the moments when Rosie thought about the image again.

As the came up to the land of Three Mile Island, Rosie was the first to tread foot on solid ground again. She stood and collected her hair to the side, wringing the locks dry through her fists and then shook it manically.

Rosie watched Victor step on land then, he crawled out on all fours and then, like a dog shook off the excess water so the droplets fell at Rosie's feet. Gathering the material of her shirt together Rosie wrung the excess out of that too.

"Well now that I have a higher percentage of death by hypothermia, shall we?" Rosie signalled for Victor to lead the way and licked her upper teeth before smiling. Victor didn't return the gesture and marched forward, leaving a trail of wet boot prints in his wake.

When Rosie followed she scowled at his back before walking determinedly at his side firmly keeping with Creed's strong lengthy stride. "Always the picture of happiness" She grumbled into her teeth.

The largest building was where Victor aimed for, he didn't speak for the entire time and Rosie's nerves were starting to itch across her skin. They grew worse when Victor held the door open for her, using his thick arm to hold the heavy steel door open.

Walking in slowly Rosie began to alter her posture; her shoulders began to rise while her left hip dropped as she nervously walked forward. Following her instinct and sense of smell Rosie climbed the stairs and pushed open the door to reveal a white room.

There he was.

Stryker was in the centre of the room, he said nothing but allowed a grin to crawl over his chops. At either side of him were two men, dressed in pond green uniforms that looked official.

More panic began to prick in Rosie's veins.

She backed up but before she took a full step, a force grabbed her. Holding her against his chest Victor had grabbed her with two arms to restrain her small arms. "Shit" She breathed as her hands gripped his skin and pulled down, attempting to free her windpipe.

The small clucks of Stryker's tongue began to tick rhythmically as he 'tutted' his humorous disappointment. The guards were walking towards her as well now, one of them reaching into his inner jacket pocket to reveal a slender syringe with clear gel inside.

"You really are a piece of shit" Rosie accused to the room, leaving everyone to wonder who she was referring to; the man she trusted to be her guide, the man she wanted to find or the guards. The latter turned the syringe with a click to activate the sharp needle and then without any tenderness jabbed it into the protruding vein of her neck.

Rosie began to breathe deeper as her jugular was exposed by Victor who had pulled her head closer to him at an angle with his large paw. Victor's claws began to bite at her, though this time, they hadn't been willed out by their owner.

Before Rosie lost consciousness and became a dead weight she heard Stryker speak two words that resulted in the abyss of her induced sleep to be littered with nightmares,

"The cage".


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Rosie's head was groggy when she woke up, she didn't move that much and waited for her blurry vision to slot together till she jostled herself into a more upright sitting position. With one leg extended and the other parallel with her body, she looked around.

Still in the room where she had originally seen Stryker, Rosie looked up as she noticed a new object in the room. A silver metal frame wall encased her against the peeling paint back wall and separated her from the rest of the hospital like room. The wall had been newly bolted to the floor, Rosie guessed it was in the time she was dead to the world.

Only way in or out of the prison was the side gate at the far end of the corridor like 'room' also made out of steel frame, it meshed into the wall. Currently Rosie was alone but she didn't move and instead kept her semi-relaxed posture. Leaning her head back she rolled it along the hard back wall and locked onto the small, black, sphere in the high, left corner of the room.

Surveillance.

Rosie repeated the move and saw another identical camera in the opposing corner of the room; they were watching her. A sigh of disbelief merged with a sharp chuckle escaped her lips and, waiting for something to happen, Rosie began to fidget with her fingers and nails.

When the door slammed open she didn't look up. Boots were stomping towards her until the steel frame wall prevented them going further. Out of her eye peripherals Rosie smirked when she saw the boots. Looking up Rosie didn't stop smirking when she saw Victor's face, scowling as always.

"You're very chirpy for a bird in a cage" Victor murmured whilst taking a firm grip on one of the metal poles. Rosie got up and stood opposite him, leaning her own body weight on one of the poles.

She smiled, "Isn't that what birds do Mr Creed, chirp?"

Rosie jumped back then as the paw grasping the fence was redirected to slash down near her face. The force of the movement made welcome cool air hit her face, she took her place on the floor again then.

Victor was growling deeply, Rosie looked up and cocked her head to the side before looking back down at her fingernails and inspecting them thoroughly before asking,

"Come on then, what did Stryker offer you to cancel out our deal?" Curiosity laced her question.

"Adamantium" He stated smugly as he used the sharp points of his canines to bite his lower lip, Rosie's attention was caught and she looked up. For a brief moment they were silent, then Rosie began to laugh and she only stopped when a loud clang vibrated the room.

Victor hit the metal.

"He's not going to give you the adamantium, there is not one ounce of that man that would do anything for anyone" Said Rosie, Victor's reply was interrupted then as the door opened a second time.

Shiny, office shoes tapped towards them. "Surely you don't mean that" Stryker's voice oiled out before his short frame came next to Victor's. "You just witnessed the ideal example of hypocrisy Solider" He addressed Creed formally, like a sergeant in the trenches.

Rosie's brow furrowed deeply and her cheeks reddened, Stryker smirked again and condescendingly asked her, "So what did you want? Child maintenance? Sorry Ro but you've gone a bit past that-"

Victor looked at the Colonel then, shocked at the revelation but hiding it under the mask of serious expression he usually wore. Rosie interrupted the speech and said forcefully,

"I came to get Jason and I want to know where he is"

It was Stryker who got serious then, keeping the ice cold stare locked with Rosie's own angry, burning gaze. He smirked slightly,

"You want to know what happened to your brother. You'd like to know what happened when you abandoned him, when you ran away like a stray cat and left your brother to fend for himself-"

"Shut up" Rosie yelled, she stood up and curled her hands into tight fists. By this point her own talons had escaped from under her cuticles and were biting into the soft flesh of her palms. "You make me sick" She splittingly confessed as though her mouth was filled with poison.

Stryker came closer to the bars and frowned mockingly,

"The truth can hurt, but honesty is the best policy as I always say"

He turned on his heel then and made to leave the room, Victor hesitated and looked at Rosie. Her arm had come up to hug her body, and a sheen of moisture coated her eyes that looked up at him from under the damp waves of her black hair.

Refusing to let the tears fall, Rosie walked up to the bars and lent against the cool metal with a slight smile. "Good luck getting you adamantium Victor…you've got more chance of a snow day in hell" Creed went to say something but a voice cut him off.

Stryker was in the doorway, propping the door open with his back. "Come on Victor, leave our guest to think about the meaning 'pot kettle black'"

Rosie shook her head sadly before raising her eyebrows in a gesture that told Victor he should leave, follow his master. Then turning away she sat on the floor again, extended both her legs fully and lent harshly against the concrete.

"Victor" Stryker said more forcefully, and before following the order, Victor took a final look at Rosie; she had smiled on hearing the forceful tone to the Colonel's voice but kept her eyes shut.

As she heard the thick boots walk away Rosie began to waver and panic rose from her belly, enclosed spaces weren't on her list of fun places to be, especially enclosed spaces with Stryker anywhere near. She needed to think of a plan and get out of the cage and off the island.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Since the original meeting with Stryker, Rosie had been left alone. Solitary confinement wasn't the most entertaining but she proffered that compared to Stryker's constant tormenting and drudging up of the past. He was a liar, pure and simple.

Now she had visitors, though she doubted the group were there to see her. Coming through the doors of the lift adjacent to the door leading to the staircase she travelled up originally, were two doctors.

Well, in saying that, Rosie couldn't be sure they did have the qualifications to be called 'Doctor', for all she knew they could be university drop outs or impersonators. Like Stryker, he was an impersonator, strutting round with his official suit and shiny shoes, he was a discredited Colonel or had his government base shut down pretending to be the noble Solider Colonel Sanders would be proud of.

That man was no more a Colonel than Rosie was.

The two Doctors, one female the other male, were wheeling a rickety old hospital bed into the room and aligned it between the space created by a cluster of technology at either side. Rosie sensed another presence in the room and as the bed turned she saw a body lying on it, sheathed by a white sheet.

In disgust Rosie crinkled up her face and turned away before a noise caught her attention, it was faint, a distant scurrying. It was a rat. The large animal ran from its sanctuary in the wall before being stopped.

Victor had fallen from the metal structure holding the roof up and easily encased the creature in his large hand, he used the curves of his extended claws to soothe the rat as it wriggled and squeaked in panic. Rosie looked at him and pulled one leg up to her chest. Locking eyes with Rosie he stroked the creature again and then easily dropped it, straight out of the open window behind him.

Walking over to the front of the cage Victor sat on the back of his legs, he ran his hands over the metal poles and then tapped them repeatedly with the index claw.

"You know s'kinda nice seeing you behind bars kitty-cat, captivity brings out the best in you" Creed said smoothly while keeping his eyes busy scanning over her body. Rosie turned her head to the side without a word and subsequently Creed curled his lip at the gesture. Lashing out his palm got a quick vice grip on Rosie's calf, dragging her one leg through the gap in the poles.

A quick, sharp gasp escaped Rosie's mouth as she hit her head on the floor Victor increased his grip and looked down at her menacingly. "Do not ignore me, ever"

"What are they doing?" Rosie asked once she noted Victor's slight posture relaxation. She nodded in the direction of the two doctors who had remained doggedly focussed on the body they were probing, cutting and sewing.

Victor released his grip completely and Rosie sat up, leaning against the metal fencing with her legs tucked underneath her neatly. Linking his hands together Creed looked over his shoulder at the action and shook his head slightly,

"Experimenting" He answered simply, Rosie inclined closer to the bars to see if her eyes could catch a glimpse at what exactly they were experimenting on. When she couldn't, she asked, "On what?"

There was a pause before Creed answered with, "Mutants"

Rosie stood up promptly and held onto one of the bars tightly, she scowled deeply and avoided Victor's stare when he too stood up. "A forty five year old disgraced Colonel with severe knee arthritis is chasing after mutants…teenage mutants…child mutants?"

As she began to back away from him, Victor scowled hard and walked closer to the fence so now he was pressed against the cool silver metal. "Or did he have help?" The look on Victor's face gave her the answer and she made a noise of disgust and retreated into the furthest corner of her cell. Victor was working with Stryker all along when he took Rosie's deal, but it was more the job description he had rather than the betrayal that bothered her.

"Don't walk away from me" The growl was quiet but Rosie's ears, her own mutant feral ears heard it, but her face remained facing the corner of the wall like a petulant school child. When she didn't listen, Victor repeated himself, louder.

Suddenly a sharp clash ignited the room and again for two more times, Stryker entered the room then and caught Victor's attention so he would stop slashing his claws against the metal.

"That's not your regular steel Victor…is there a reason you're attempting to break in to the girl's cell?" Stryker's voice was as smarmy as ever, full of condescending authority that refused to break. The anger was clear in Victor's voice as he shouted,

"Open the door, I'm gonna teach her some manners"

Stryker shook his head and put his hands into the neatly pressed silk lined pockets of his trousers and swayed onto the balls of his feet, he looked at Rosie who still had her back to the room and shook his head.

"I'm not going to be able to do that Victor – You might break her"

Victor balled up his hands and marched towards Stryker, "Well then you better have something I can god damn break, Stryker, cause I'm pretty frustrated right now" Impressively Stryker's façade didn't waver when Victor was up close.

Instead he rolled his lips together and closed his eyes briefly before opening then and sternly looking at the two Doctors who this time had been distracted and were gazing up at the ruckus with wide eyes and open mouths. "Go back to work" Stryker ordered.

As they hurried back to work, Victor cocked his head to the side and looked expectantly at Stryker who looked back with a gaze that taunted maliciously, 'I know something you don't'.

Before Victor lost patience, the Colonel said smoothly, "I can do that…he's on his way here right now" Now Rosie was intrigued and she turned back round to face the main room, Victor exchanged a look with Stryker, telepathically communicating who the unnamed target was.

Whoever it was, it put a smile on Victor's face. A smile that took over his face but contained no trace of humour.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

An hour or so later Rosie sniffed loudly, she began to pick up the faintest scent; it was a feral, with the character tones present in that of Victor's scent also. It was a relation of Creed's, coming up to the room fast.

Stryker had remained in the room, Creed left, he was leering at the end of the hospital bed while the good doctors continued poking and prodding around on the sheltered person. Interested Rosie pressed against the bars and the Colonel took the attention with greedy enthusiasm, continually talking his usual non-seneschal bullshit.

Rosie ignored him but couldn't stop the untamed talons from wriggling out, it was only when the new scent captured that Rosie's attention was taken elsewhere. Stryker noticed her sniffing and quickly calculated the reason, he was near.

"Ferals aren't as rare as I once thought" Stryker told her with a knowing smile, "Although…" Stryker's voice trailed off as the thought sprinted through his head, grew wings and then came out his mouth with more resolute volume. "It would be interesting to see if the gene is hereditary from two adult ferals, a breeding programme"

Rosie made a disgusted noise but it was overshadowed by an echoing laughter emanating from the rafters above her and the more muted chuckles of Stryker who turned back to the mutant guniea-pig.

The room became quiet again then, stilled by the noise of increasing footsteps as they rattled on the metal stairs outside the room. When the figure appeared his shoulders were rounded forward and his head bent slightly. If anyone was looking for a fight, this guy was the epitome.

"Logan" Stryker greeted simply as the man paused and surveyed the area around him as he frowned with gritted teeth and deep breathing through his nose. "Welcome back to the war"

Rosie watched on, enthralled as she saw the man's fist clench harder, Logan was angry, extremely angry. "Before I gut you, I wanna know why" Logan demanded.

Superiority was the air Stryker exuded, that, and arrogance, the old man didn't even raise his head to acknowledge the feral's presence. "I need your powers for the pool"

'The pool?' Rosie thought, and her own thoughts were voiced aloud by Logan. Stryker responded again, still refusing to look anybody in the eye.

"The mutant killer…Deadpool"

A click came from above Rosie's head; somebody was getting impatient with all this talking. Rosie connected the dots and labelled the unconscious experiment on the hospital bed as the mutant killer, 'Deadpool'.

Finally Stryker looked up and explained the basic gist of what the abomination on the bed was a combination of the best mutant powers, living inside one mutant who had evolved into a government robot weapon.

"My son was the first piece of the puzzle" Now that caught Rosie's attention and she stood taller, more attentive. Jason was part of this whole charade? In overdrive, the mechanics of Rosie's brain were working fast.

Guilt racked through her and she shook her head to rid the unpleasant feeling before listening back to the current conversation. "-nothing motivates the men in your family like revenge"

'Ah, so he is related to Creed' Rosie allowed the merest trace of a smug smile to twitch her mouth, good to know not all of her feral traits were amateur. Suddenly a new smell accosted the room and Rosie looked up, a tall fairly attractive brunette was standing behind Logan, and it didn't take him long to turn around and ask her who she was.

Apparently Logan already knew, he collapsed to the floor with a painful groan that made Rosie hold on to the bars tightly, this was unpleasant to watch, but too engrossing to turn away. Two flickers of movement caught her eye then.

Creed had moved, he was away from Rosie and closer to Logan, an action which the girl couldn't achieve as Stryker twitched his jacket aside making her stop instantly before Logan could see.

Enthralled like a rabbit in headlights Rosie watched as the newly revealed hypnotist mutant explained to the room how she, with Stryker's seedy help faked her death and had a sister with diamond hard skin.

Then he walked away. Logan just gave up and listened to what Stryker wanted him to hear then ran away. 'Sounds familiar' Rosie's conscious accosted her. Kayla walked forward,

"I've done everything you asked…my sister, please" A tear shed down Kayla's cheek, Rosie turned to face the wall, bring her hands up to her face nervously as the tension rose and she looked back, still transfixed. "You said if I helped you, you'd let her go"

'Stryker really is a bastard' Thought Rosie with scowl that screwed up her entire face as she listened to yet more smarm that dripped out of Stryker's mouth.

"Kayla it's not as simple as that. Her mutation is unique. Quite beautiful. We need a little more time to analyse it, that's all"

Whilst Rosie angrily whispered, "Liar", Creed dropped from the rafters and extinguished the noise. He was angry as well, another trait the men in his family had.

"You let him go" Victor accused as he slammed his fist into the floor to steady himself. "You can't let him go" Creed's voice was rising and Rosie's eyes swam with excitement as she watched Stryker's crew begin to mutineer against him.

"You can't beat him Victor" Stryker attempted to soothe, but it didn't just fall on deaf ears, Victor was angry beyond all consolation and he had no ears to listen.

"Then give me the adamantium!" The feral bellowed loudly with ferocity that made Rosie's skin crawl. Stryker kept his composure and remained calm,

"You would never survive the operation" The authority was trying to seep into back into Stryker's voice but Victor didn't listen, he kept stalking forward with dogged determination. "Your tests came back" He continued.

"We had a deal!" Victor bellowed as he reached Stryker, finally near enough to get his skilled claws into Stryker's neck until Stryker caught the soldier's attention again.

That man could wriggle out of anything.

Snake.

"You're my favourite solider Victor, you're time will come" That statement made Rosie snort and all eyes focussed on her briefly before Kayla piped up.

"He's using us" She said quietly before beginning to run forward, after Logan.

The girl didn't get far; being the centre of Victor's attention for more than five seconds when he was angry was bad news. His clawed hand lashed out and captured Kayla's throat lifting her off the ground and forcing her to let out a call for help. A scream.

"Victor!" Rosie yelled.

Then all the tension in the room broke, subsequent of Kayla's scream.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Victor paid no attention to Rosie except for the brief fire fuelled gaze that silenced her as he turned back to Kayla, wriggling desperately to get away.

"How 'bout this time, you die for real?" Victor asked, he ignored Kayla's pleas as she begged him to let her go. Rosie squinted her eyes with interest as she heard Victor declare that Kayla's hypnosis power didn't work on him.

As Creed tightened his grip with a resolute exclaim, Logan reappeared, calling Victor's name with a lingering bellow.

"Victor!"

Rosie snapped her head up and gasped sharply as three deadly sharp point pushed through Logan's knuckles on each hand. "Holy shit" she whispered. It was adamantium, Rosie was sure of it and, as she analysed the glinting silver metal she noticed the similarity in her own cage lining.

Her cell was adamantium, at least partially.

Victor and Logan were the only ferals Rosie knew and seeing them fight was unlike anything she'd ever seen. They flew at each other, snarling as though their human counterparts had been jeopardized and now they were just to lions going claw to claw.

It was frightening. Rosie backed away from the bars and pushed herself against the back wall harshly, it hurt her shoulder blades. When Logan impaled Victor's chest and they both were sent cascading through the air after sending glass in every direction, Rosie tucked her chin into her shoulder crook, shying away.

Snapping out of it Rosie rushed forward, she had to see what was going on but it was impossible from her position. A strange clamp took over Rosie's chest and she cast it aside when Kayla lent over the broken glass to call down at the pair,

"Logan!" She yelled, "You're not an animal"

Then she heard his voice and in an odd way the clamp over her chest relinquished, the tones belonged to Victor. Another swell of panic rose in her chest then, Kayla ran from the room and Rosie wasn't seeing her case anytime soon.

"Activate Weapon Eleven!" Stryker shouted at the one doctor who remained in the room, the rest had flown the nest as soon as the battle of ferals got underway.

The naive doctor looked at Stryker with desperation and with confusion on her face stated, "The bonding process isn't complete" Then she turned away to the machine and began to hastily twist, turn and pull at buttons lining the metal box closest to Deadpool.

A sick bile came into Rosie's belly when she saw the bandaged human hand rise from underneath the white cloth that had previously hidden the man from her sight.

"Oh my God" Whispered Rosie as she once again slammed into the back wall. Stryker gave her a deep smile as the man, if he could be called that walked with rigid, determined steps out of the room and after Logan.

When sparks of electricity began to ignite and clash from the floor below them, Rosie had enough, she was getting out of there.

Hastily her eyes darted around the small capacity of her room and with new found focus spotted a small patch ceiling free from paint, it had crumbled away. Walking towards it Rosie saw it was near one of the bolts securing her fence.

Genetically agile, Rosie locked her hands around one of the silver poles and manoeuvred them up before pressing one foot onto it, then the other. Then, like a jungle ape began to climb until she neared the top.

With the bolt already weakening a fractured piece of concrete Rosie pivoted slightly and then balanced all her weight on the one leg. Her other leg supported her foot which began to pound mercilessly against the concrete.

Her leg was numb after a couple of seconds and then she felt it. Rosie smiled widely when the concrete faltered and fell to the floor in a cloud of grey smoke. Apparently an abandoned nuclear site isn't the perfect location.

'Not bad for a weather girl' Rosie thought as she dropped to the floor and then sprang up through the small hole.

When she stood atop the rafters, Stryker looked up and ever so slightly took a step back. It spurred Rosie on and she balanced on the beam easily before dropping into the hospital room.

"Rosie" Stryker began to coheres but the girl wasn't having any of it and soon the pesky claws underneath her cuticles wriggled free.

"Unless the next words out of your mouth tell me where Jason is, do not speak to me" She threatened with a dark frown on her face.

Another peculiar smile came over Stryker's face, and as they circled each other they paused, then the smiled curled up even more. Confidence came back into the Colonel's veins and he leaned forward to whisper quietly,

"He's dead"

The with a swift motion Stryker lashed out and pushed Rosie's shoulder with an almighty force that sent her stumbling back, falling directly out of the shattered window she was stood in front of.

As Rosie fell instinct kicked in and after the ungodly first seconds of the free fall where nothing but panic suffocated her, a better blue print instinct kicked in. She pivoted in the air and rather than her skull hitting the harsh concrete, the force was splayed out on both her hands and feet.

Stryker couldn't hide his disappointment as he leaned over the window ledge and locked eyes with a very much alive Rosie who snapped her eyes up to lock with his.

When she stood up she felt the distinct body heat in the room and walking around one of the cooling tanks she saw Victor sprawled out, unconscious.

Rosie ran to him and bent at his side.

Using her middle and index finger Rosie couldn't feel a pulse, shuffling closer she straddled him and sat on his stomach. "Shit" She cursed while her palms beat rhythmically on Victor's heart.

It was sudden when he woke up, as though jolted awake by a volt of electricity, a modern day Frankenstein. But he wasn't in the moment, whatever abyss Victor was in, he was fighting.

The fighting continued when Victor woke up, he was still caught in the blurry line between dream and reality.

The realisation he was no longer in a fight only came after his claws had impaled themselves into Rosie's throat and he locked eyes with her, watching the horror in them before retreating and being replaced by nothing.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Rosie's mouth twitched as Victor extracted his claws from her jugular and shuffled to the side as to allow her to fall from above him to at his side. He pawed clumsily at the wound before drawing away sharply to hold his hands close to him.

"Shit!" Creed cursed loudly when he looked down at the fatality that had now closed her eyes. The blood coated his hands and with an un-character like tremor Victor got to his feet, took a step back and harshly wiped away as much of the red liquid away as he could. "Fuck" He said again with more aggression, Victor's head snapped up and looking to and from the body he backed away reluctantly and launched out the door.

'Find the pup' Thought Victor determinedly as a belligerent throbbing coated his lungs but was pushed away quickly.

It was easy finding Jimmy, trouble always seemed to find him, and right now Victor was the trouble. He was fighting, fighting with the modified version of Wade, and loosing,

Victor winced with a smirk as he vaulted up the concrete wall, 'Should have uppercut there Jimmy' he corrected mentally when Deadpool caught his brother with a particularly nasty punch. Then he noticed the glint of the two swords, 'Even the pretty boy gets adamantium'.

As Deadpool pinned Logan down Victor ran faster and faster, then just as the executioner move to cut off his head started, Victor launched and swung straight into Deadpool's neck. Off balance both Deadpool and Jimmy fell over the edge.

Luckily Victor caught his brother before he could fall, though he wasn't sure why, the fall wouldn't kill him and it might have been fun to watch. "Nobody kills you but me" He stated gruffly as Logan fought for an explanation silently.

The two siblings locked a relaxed stare for a moment, then the pool hit again, swinging punches and kicks in quick succession from between them. "Back to back" Logan ordered.

Then the fight really began and it didn't stop until another stolen mutation was employed, red molten hot rays came from his eyes and ploughed through the concrete they stood on, pinning Victor mercilessly beneath it.

The hot light didn't stop, even when Logan soured through the air and with burning claws slashed through Stryker's new toy like butter the light emitted out. It continued to destroy anything in its path as Deadpool's head fell into the well of the building; carving through the structure until it began to wobble dangerously.

It was coming down.

Victor paused as his brother's hand extended to him, but he accepted it and was pulled up to stand alongside them. With stern curtness Logan stated,

"This doesn't change anything between us Victor…We're done"

Quickly Victor remembered the old ways, how they used to be partners, and with the air of authority that being the elder sibling granted him, Victor leaned forward slightly.

"We could never be done Jimmy. We're brothers, and brothers look out for each other"

Quickly, with that said Victor pivoted on his heel and jumped from the high platform, he remained at ease as the wind swept past him harshly on the descent before smashing into the concrete below with balance that only a feral could muster.

Underneath the falling structure, Victor walked away doggedly and directed himself to the closest part of the island where the ground fell to water. As his foot entered the cool water a noise stopped him before another step could be taken.

Turning around to investigate he laughed with a sharp exhale and looked up at the sky as if asking the lord himself what was going on; relief flooded his body.

"Well, well, well weathergirl" Victor greeted his former employer/victim with charm. Rosie walked forward with her hands on her hips expectantly. The water from the previous swim had resulted in a wavier, untamed hair-do for the amateur feral.

When she drew level with him Rosie scowled, "Did I not say that you would kill me? I distinctly remember predicting this…maybe a fortune teller is my new glamorous career"

Victor judged her warily until she broke the scowl and smiled brightly, her little hand touched his arm in comfort. "Apparently I can't die" She stated with a raised brow, even Victor was surprised by the recent revelation; only certain ferals get that quality.

"Welcome to the club Darlin'…but be careful, I could have a lot of fun testing out that theory" He confessed before resuming his long strides deeper into the water ahead. Rosie pursued him but soon had to begin treading water subsequent to the large height difference between them.

Reality of what Stryker had told Rosie began to sink into her brain and the merriment of joining the conscious world again faded; Jason was dead.

Jason was dead because of Stryker.

Bobbing above the water Rosie turned and looked back at the island where the whole mind warp went on, smoke was plummeting around the one falling tower and beginning to engulf the entire land.

Going back to the task of swimming, Rosie couldn't help raising her hand and consecutively feeling the unbroken skin of her neck. It was perfectly intact and that still blew Rosie's mind, it was barely an hour ago that five exceptionally sharp animal claws had been feeling their way around like the greedy palm of a child with a new tactile book.

Victor was obviously unfazed by the entire situation; it was plain for anyone to see that Creed had experienced more than one lifetime's worth of impaling and death by his own claws.

Still she was drawn to the odd man like a moth to flame.

Yet, in thinking that old saying Rosie couldn't help but wonder if the age old saying needed to be altered slightly to suit her situation more,

Rosie was drawn to Creed like a moth to flame, but the flame was actually a bug-zapper and a proud one.

That had already been proven.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Finally on the other side of the water Rosie stood up and wrung her hair dry roughly, looking back at the water she'd swam through there was no sign of Victor. She'd lost him during the swim. Before she could have a second thought on the feral a new scent crept into her awareness, Stryker.

A new sense of determination came over Rosie; the tamed, civilised weather girl had been damaged on that island and now she was more aware of her true nature. She wanted revenge on that man and now there wasn't anything holding her back.

A sensation tickled both Rosie's hands and she held them up for inspection. There they were, the pesky claws that had a mind of their own when a temper rose deep in her belly. A smirk came over as she saw them fully extended,

"Game on" She stated and then started forward with an increasing, dogged speed.

Her mind mentally placed Stryker on the long stretch of tarmac road, the fastest route possible away from 3 Mile Island. Getting faster and faster, closer and closer, Rosie's instincts suddenly took over even more and she dropped to all fours to build more momentum.

That momentum was abruptly cut short when a force suddenly slammed into her side and took her off course. She snarled at the interruption but provoked a more threating growl from the force pinning her against the tree.

Rosie was so close.

The road was in sight, the smell was getting closer, and…yes! There was Stryker; walking at a steady pace with a fixed gaze ahead.

She tried to push passed Victor but his paw secured her in place so Rosie gave up and chose to stare at him with a bored expression. He was wasting her time.

"I wanna know the deal with you and Stryker – Spill it" said Victor icily.

Rosie rolled her head to the side, "Why? You handed me over to Stryker, he screwed you over and now big brother has the adamantium and you have nothing"

Victor scowled and revealed his sharp front teeth, "I wouldn't be so sure pet, if I remember rightly our entire business negotiation was based on me getting what I wanted and Jimmy didn't get the girl did he?"

Rosie furrowed her brows and touched her own slightly pointed front teeth, "I'm not yours to have and you chose Stryker's offer over mine"

"Of course you're not" Victor laughed slightly at the comment and continued more determinedly, "Tell. Me." The talon of his claw wriggled nearer her throat and pricked the skin lightly.

"Alright, calm down!" Rosie yelled to stop the claw, she succeeded and Victor smiled with satisfaction. "He was my step father, he hated me, I hated him and I ran away from all of it. I left Jason there because I was selfish, and it's because of me that he's dead"

Rosie's voice waivered but Victor's expression didn't change; he was intrigued in how the broad was going to get him the adamantium. When he asked Rosie answered more confidently, the change of subject took her mind off the guilt she felt and put her back in a more firm position.

"Stryker doesn't change his work force and adamantium isn't something you can plan overnight Victor. Henry McNair was the main scientist behind the project…Uncle Henry" Rosie opened her eyes wide like a doll and fluttered them exaggeratedly, telling Victor that she could wrap dear Uncle Henry round her little finger.

Victor took a step back and Rosie shook herself to revive some feeling back into the one arm Victor had been leaning on. Realising she had a chance to get to Stryker again; Rosie side stepped Victor and pounced forward on the hunt again.

She didn't get very far before she was caught again, just as a military vehicle throatily made its way past them. "Would you stop that?" Rosie asked angrily, "What's it to you if he dies?"

Victor pulled her up off the ground and held her by the fabric of her shirt, "I like keeping a low profile" He pointed at the vehicle in the distance that had stopped and its occupants stopping Stryker. "That doesn't involve being tailgated by the government twenty four seven"

Rosie smirked with humour and sighed; she relaxed into the ground and lay her head down flat in the mattress of leaves under her. "Scared they'll catch you?" Rosie taunted as she looked up at the sky.

Then a silence came between them. Rosie's ambivalence at what she was getting herself into when she hired Victor to take her to Stryker was gone and only now she was aware that there was very little chance that she could go back to her cosy weather-girl lifestyle.

"I don't think I'm cut out to be a feral Victor" She confessed and sat up to cross her legs, Victor didn't answer her and instead they just sat side by side. Carefully Rosie lent into Victor's arm, judging the reaction she would get.

Remaining still Victor closed his eyes briefly. Thoughts were racing through his head as he judged what the next move of this journey should be and when he decided the clarity of the decision made him stand him, pulling Rosie with him.

"You are going to get dear, old Uncle Henry to give me the adamantium" He stated, Rosie gave him a look and stood firmly, popping out her hip she crossed her arms over her chest.

The tone of her voice was playful but filled with uncertainty all at once, "What exactly do I get out of this? So far all I've had is the experience of dying"

"Do you wanna relive that experience?" Victor answered quickly, he crossed the distance between them and bent down to her level, "Besides you've had a lot more out of it than that…" He searched for the word and Rosie waited patiently.

Victor opened his eyes and cocked his head to the side with a smirk, "Liberation"

Then his eyes began to dilate and become overrun with dark black pools of ink, the points of his teeth were revealed again when his lip curled over and with unrefined haste the distance between them completely closed.

Rosie breathed out a long exhale, she collected her hair to the side and smiled with bright, wide, dilated eyes of her own.

"Adamantium?" Victor asked

"Adamantium" Rosie confirmed and they both walked side by side away from the island where Rosie the weather girl had died, and Rosie the feral had been reborn.

'This is going to be very interesting' She thought mentally as she looked up at Victor. 'Dangerous' Her mind summed him up in one word and then added a final comment, 'I like it'.


End file.
